The CIPR's new president, Steven Shepperson-Smith, sets out his vision
“In an era of fake news and low institutional trust, the CIPR’s mission of effective and ethical communication is as important as ever,” he says
Steven Shepperson-Smith has been a member of the CIPR for over 20 years and held several volunteer roles within the organisation including chair of the Finance Committee and also the Greater London Group. In this, the 75th anniversary of one of Europe's largest PR membership bodies and the continent’s leading provider of training, accreditation and qualifications, the CIPR’s new president sets out his vision and plans for 2023 and beyond…
We're talking a lot about shaping society this year. The CIPR's mission, to help society by ensuring public and private organisations communicate effectively and ethically, is 75 years old. But in an era of fake news and low institutional trust, that mission is as important as ever. Now we want to see more PR professionals in governance roles because they have the skills to deeply understand stakeholder relationships and to help build really sustainable organisations. Our Chartered Practitioners, in particular, can help Boards deliver the G in ESG (and the E and the S).
I wanted to become a famous novelist when I was 21, but I had zero life experience. I had a vague feeling public relations had something to do with celebrities and champagne, and thought that wouldn’t be a terrible thing to be involved with. So I wrote to two or three PR agencies, and said, ‘I've got no experience or real knowledge of what you do, but I could make you a really nice cup of tea if you let me shadow you.’ And a nice man named Mike Sunier (a CIPR member) called me back and gave me some work experience. I was very lucky. I absolutely loved it and have never wanted to do anything else since (I married a novelist instead).
The CIPR believes in social mobility. We want our members to come from diverse backgrounds, and to become the first membership organisation to achieve National Equality Standard. It's really important our organisation reflects the audiences we communicate with – and frankly, we don't at the moment: the CIPR is still predominantly white, middle-class, and over 30. I’m not denigrating that, but it's very important we provide a pathway through for people from socially and financially disadvantaged backgrounds.
We want to demonstrate that PR is a force for good. PR is often lambasted for the behaviour of the industry’s lunatic fringe. That’s fair. But it ignores the many practitioners who work to shape their organisations in positive ways. PR practitioners are often the ethical conscience of organisations. Organisations aren’t usually trying to obfuscate and rarely set out to break the law. But they can cut corners – greenwashing is a good example of that. So having people who are properly able to guide them based on a really good understanding of what is acceptable to the public and to employees, not just what is legal, is extremely valuable.
The pandemic was a great example of the importance of community. I joined regular video calls with other members – some of whom I had never really spoken with before. It was good for my mental health to have a network outside of work, family and the occasional call with socially distanced friends. Post-pandemic it is important our community maintains that pastoral role, particularly for more isolated home workers, as well as supporting each other with career development. The CIPR can also become really important for the generation of young professionals who are now less able to watch experienced peers work in an office, and who want opportunities to meet and network after work.
There's been a massive shift in practice from when I first started in PR. But the need for judgment, ethics and the fundamentals of PR strategy remain the same. We need to help young (and older) professionals who specialise in social media, digital PR, SEO etc to see that CIPR remains a natural and beneficial home for them. We also have to get the whole industry more comfortable with using data to lead both decision making and evaluation. CIPR is the world leader in considering the impact of artificial intelligence on the PR industry and you will see us do more work on both tools, but also ethical usage, this year.
Our members provide our mandate. The CIPR only exists for as long as it's valuable to members and learners. We are so lucky to have brilliant volunteers and employees who are really committed and engaged. I want to take every opportunity to thank them. I want CIPR to be around for another 75 years. To do that we must keep evolving as an organisation and can have no sacred cows in terms of approach. The only thing that is important is what adds value to our members and customers.
We have a lot to celebrate. We have a growing community of over 10,000 members across over 80 countries, and every year more practitioners become CIPR qualified and Chartered. I'm so proud to be part of the best community in PR. I am really looking forward to celebrating with our community this year. There has never been a better time for people to invest in their career and join the CIPR.